Where's your posts?

I'm sorry for the delay in resuming posting, but the surgery has been kicking my rear.  At this time, I'm running a 101 fever, am unable to stand for more than about 15 minutes without breaking out into sweats and shivers, and generally feeling wrong.

Because of that, I'm not writing anything yet.  Just so you know. In case you care. :)

Anyone have USAV questions?

I'm going into surgery today for my ACL and meniscus.  I tore them on February 13th along with my MCL.  Sadly, this means I'm out of volleyball until everything's healed up, but I'm trying to make sure to stay involved and I still want my own club to succeed -- so I'm continuing to make a push towards trying to get more players involved in USAV.

Do you have any questions? Comments? Is there anything that you have questions about that I've missed so far? 

I won't be making any posts this week, but will resume next week.  If I don't get some ideas, though, the posts will probably be with less frequency!

As a club director, what do I need to do for my club to be successful?

It's just like any other thing starting out. It also depends on your definition of "successful".  Is, in your opinion, success defined as winning every tournament?  Having a great time? Having friends play together? Playing volleyball, regardless of anything else?

The fact is that once you've decided on your measuring system, you need to decide what's required.  Here are some ideas that you might want to think about while working on your club or team:

Recruiting: Do you have the right players? Do you have enough people? Realize that people are going to drop/change/stop playing/get injured.  Some people will not make all the tournaments your club is going to.  You need to make sure you've got the players you need.

Website: Are you going to have a website? If so, what are you going to put on there? Are you going to just use it as a generic one page here's who we are? Do you want something more complex where you can track rosters, attendance, payments, etc? 

Tournaments: Does your club plan on playing in every tournament? Just the tournaments in your city? Regionals? Nationals?

Nationals: This merits a point of it's own.  Are you trying to put a team together to play at Nationals?  If so, you need to consider the cost involved (travel, tournament cost, hotels, foot, etc) so your team is aware. 

Multiple Teams: There are benefits to multiple teams in a single club, but it also adds the level of effort and paperwork required for the tournament director. Is it worth it to you? Do you have enough players?

Practices: Is your team going to have regular practices? If so, you need to find a place to practice.  Are you just going to join a league to practice such as the YMCA, Austin Recreation Center, etc? Then you need to join those organizations and join the leagues.

There's a lot to consider, but in my opinion, it's worth it.

What if I don't like the people running the LoneStar region?

Don't deal with them.  That's my answer.  As a player, especially, there's VERY little that you have to do with the commissioner, the tournament director, etc.  Even as a club director, you don't have to deal with the people in the region very often. There are bound to be times when you have to, but I can count the "forced interactions" that I've had with the region's leadership on one hand for the past year.  There have been other times where I've asked questions or offered assistance or whatever that I've voluntarily gone to them, but if you don't like them or don't like dealing with "corporate" (as it were), don't.

Players will only have to if they get injured at a tournament (though the club director can do that for them) or want to change teams.

Club directors need to to get set up, to run a tournament, or to ask questions that require a ruling.

Beyond that, I don't think you have to.

I've started with a team and really don't want to play with them anymore. What can I do?

During the "Friendly's" season, you can simply switch teams. USAV allows for some level of testing the waters, but only before the local season starts. Each region runs with their own timeframe.  The Lonestar region starts in late October/early November and goes through Nationals (in 2010, that's the first week of June).  Once the actual season has started and you've signed up with a club, that's the only club that you can play with.

If you're not sure about a team, talk with their captain/club director. Go to their practice. Go to a tournament as an observer and see whether you want to play with them.  Don't commit (Register w/ the LS USAV and select them as a club) until you've decided that it is definitely the team you want to play with.  Changing teams is possible, but it requires the regional commissioner to sign off on your change.  I have no idea how difficult this is, but it is probably not as simple as requesting a change.

What's this about certified referees and scorekeepers?

USAV requires that each team has a certified referee and scorekeeper on the team.  This is not a very hard requirement to meet. It also doesn't mean that you can't play in tournaments if you don't have one. 

Regionals is the first tournament that really checks certifications.  Prior to Regionals (this year, March 27th in College Station), tournament referees and scorekeepers need to know what they're doing but a team doesn't get penalized if they don't have a certified referee.  The expectation is that your team is working towards getting one of each once the team is formed.  The cost involved is $25 per person certified -- this includes the class (about 2 - 3 hours for referees, about an hour for scorekeepers) and the certification for two years.  There are classes scheduled once a month (or so) in each city; almost every weekend from what I can tell if you look at the region. 

Realistically, this requirement is a slight barrier to entry but shouldn't prevent people from becoming a USAV member in my opinion.  It does require a little bit of effort on the part of the player or team/club director, but I don't think that it should be a make or break for most people.

What are the uniform requirements?

One thing that I enjoy about the USAV tournaments is that teams look like teams.  They don't look like a scraggly bunch of players who were thrown together at the last minute -- well, not normally ;)

To play in a USAV tournament, teams are required to have uniforms.  The uniforms must have matching shirt and shorts. They don't have to look like this or this, but they do need to match.

Shirts
The shirts must match in style and look.  They must have a 6" number centered on the front and an 8" number centered on the back. A logo, your team name, or other information on the jersey is irrelevant, but if you have it on one, you must have it on all.  A T-shirt with numbers is fine as well!  A libero jersey must have contrasting colors, meaning no dark blue when your team is wearing black.  Bright red, yellow or white would be examples of acceptable Libero jerseys.

Shorts
They must match in style and look. This rule isn't usually enforced heavily until you get to Regionals and Nationals. 

Shoes/Socks
There are no requirements for these to match.

As a player, what do I have to do to join a USAV team?

As a player, playing in the USAV is really quite simple.

Find a team that you want to play on and that has said they have space for you.

Register with the USAV via their website (click on "Registration") and select the team that you're going to be playing on.  Send a check for $30 to the commissioner or give one to your team/club director, if they are handling all the USAV registration fees.

Now you're registered with the USAV and are eligible for play with that team.

If you register prior to the start of the official season (during the "Friendly's" tournaments), you can select "Undecided" for your club and play on any team that wants you. It's a great way to get to know who you are going to play with.

How many teams can I have in one club?

This is pulled directly from the 2009-2010 LoneStar USAV handbook. I'm not sure why the restrictions on two teams in a division other than one club probably doesn't need to be that big ;)

Clubs or associations having more than one registered team must designate one person to serve as its representative. This person will be responsible for all matters concerning the entire organization. Adult clubs/associations may have no more than two teams registered within each division of play, I.e., two men’s ―A‖:, two women’s ―A‖, two women’s ―BB‖, etc. [Jr's info redacted] In either case, each team may not exceed twelve active players without prior approval of the commis-sioner. Upon registering the thirteenth player, a new team must be formed.

There are definitely advantages to having two teams in one club.  A single person does most of the organizational work, so you can leverage someone that is administratively competent.  You can buy uniforms in bulk (usually) to get discounts. It is possible to split court costs for practices, if your team has them.  Teams can lend players across each other, as long as they're in the same division, so that both teams can make a tournament -- or even that one mixed-bag team can have enough players to make a tournament.

Starting a Club or Team

Starting a club or a team sounds really complex. It is!

Step 1:
    Register yourself for the season through the LoneStar Region website.  Click on "Registration" and then "New Member".  Select undecided for your club.  Be sure to wait until the season you're interested in unless you've got $30 to spare and prefer to sign up for this year.  The 2009/2010 season opened for Registration on September 1st.

Step 2:
    Email your local commissioner that you're interested in starting a new club.  For the LoneStar region, the current commissioner and his email address is listed on the LSVolleyball website.   Click on "Adult" for the details. The information needed is: Club Name, Club director's Name, Club Mailing Address, Club Phone #, Club Email address, and Club Level of Play (Adult - Men, Adult - Women, etc). 


Step 3:
   Follow his instructions and recruit your players. Make sure that they select your club when signing up.

Oh. Wait. It wasn't complex at all! Now that you've got a team, you're able to sign up for USAV tournaments when they start.

Isn't it expensive to play USAV?

The level of expense is really dependent on what you want to do.  If you plan on practicing a few times a week, having a professional level uniform, warm up outfits, matching shoes, etc? Then yes - it can get expensive.

On the most cost effective side, there's a few ways to do it.

#1. You need a uniform.  I'll post more information about the uniform later, but the basic crux of it is that you need a shirt with a number on front and back and shorts.  The entire team needs to be wearing the same uniform. Shoes and socks are irrelevant.  You can probably get these, on the cheap side, for around $30 per person.  This is a one time expense.

#2. You need to sign up for a USAV membership. This is $30 and must be paid annually to the USAV region.  This covers such things as extra insurance and region costs.

#3. You need to show up at tournaments.  This costs $115 / team, so a team of 8 players just pays $15 per person per tournament.

That's the basic cost involved.  If you attend each of the Austin tournaments from September through March (about 6 of them), you've paid $150 for the season.

Some teams take it to the next level and require dues to pay for gym space for team practices; others play in leagues and yet others, I'm sure, do things differently from that.  I'll go into some of these other options later.

Why should I play USAV instead of leagues?

There's no pressing reason, but personally, I get a lot of enjoyment out of practicing with a team and playing to try to win tournaments.  Realistically, it's a personal choice and dependent on your availability.  Some teams play in every tournament (there's 2-3 / month), others play in only their city's tournaments (Austin usually has 1 / month).  Some teams never practice and just show up at the tournaments; others practice a few times a week.  It really depends on the team you're playing with or the club you're a member of.

Here are some advantages, in my opinion, to USAV.

First off, you play with the same group of people throughout the year. You really get to know their strengths and weaknesses, helping improve your skill and your team's success.

Secondly, you know when the tournaments are. You can plan out which tournaments you're going to go to, what to expect, and can have a lot of fun.  There's some teams you're bound to create rivalries with and meeting them again and again can create a great atmosphere that helps push your competitive nature.

Third, in my experience, the majority of the leagues are a true mixed bag.  There's some great players and some not so great players. This is much less evident in USAV, especially at the BB and A levels.  The USAV B level has a few very solid teams, but also a few teams that are just entering to give them some additional experience.

Finally, each year, there's a Nationals tournament.  In 2007, it was in Austin; 2008, it was in Minneapolis, and in 2009, it is in Phoenix.  The tournament is a gathering of 40-60+ teams of each level, lasts 4 days, and is filled with volleyball.

I'm sure there's other reasons.  Anyone want to drop a comment to add some others?

Can I play in non-USAV leagues or tournaments?

Sadly, the answer is currently a resounding sometimes. 

Teams and players registered with the Lone Star Region, for the six-person or coed season, will only be permitted to participate in USAV sanctioned events. The only exception to this would be for teams or players who are also registered with other organizations, e.g. YMCA, AAU, recreation or church leagues. And, this exception only applies if the non-USAV events are restricted to the teams and members of that organization.


Basically, this means that you can't sign up for tournaments unless those tournaments are open only to organizations and your team is also a member of that organization. This is, to me, one of the main drawbacks that USAV currently has.  I will be pressing for a change to this in the next revision of the handbook, if possible.

Is it true that there are not many USAV teams/players in the LoneStar USAV region?

Yes, at least men's.  That is one of the reasons that I am working on this blog. I want to get more players and teams involved.  These numbers are for 2009/2010, men and cross A, BB and B level play. Some of the clubs have teams in multiple divisions.  I pulled the information off of the contact page from the LoneStar region website.

Total of 21 clubs
Austin - 6 clubs
Far South (Corpus Christi + South) - 1 club
Far North (Waco + North) - 1 club
San Antonio - 3 clubs
Houston - 10 clubs

There were 696 men registered in 2009 for the region. This means that we COULD have 80+ teams. I'm not sure how many we actually have, but I don't think it's anywhere near that. 

Throughout the 2009/2010 season, the average Austin tournament (which are the main ones I went to) where there were two split divisions had 4 teams (2 of which were my club!) for the B division and 4 teams for the BB/A division.  Other tournaments had 6 teams total between B and BB/A.

The fact is that the region can truly use more players and teams.  It isn't a huge effort or expense. It isn't a major time investment.  It can be, but in general, it isn't.

Levels of Play in USAV

One of the areas that USAV differs slightly from many of the leagues around is the division of play and the definitions of each level. 

The best definition that I've found is below, although it has slightly been adapted based on how I have seen the play around in the region.

C/Rec - This is for beginners or intermediate players. Players who haven't played in a few years or have never played college club / High School varsity ball.  These are players who aren't consistent and tend to not be confident in their positions.  This level of play does not play in the USAV tournaments. We suggest taking a look at open gyms in the area to get back into the game of things before trying out for a USAV club.

B - This is not for beginners. This is for people who have consistent passing, decent setting, and decent hitting. The offenses are not as complex as the higher levels of play. Most of the players are good athletes developing their skills, or older ones who are losing their abilities. There should be no jungle ball here, but there also should not be anybody pounding the ball in front of the 10 ft line regularly.

BB - These guys usually have real team experience. You start to see some real height at this level with most players above 6'. Expect to see some good hitting as far as speed and power, but most of the players lack a full knowledge of all the techniques of hitting. Setting at this level should be way above beginner level setting.

A - This is competitive volleyball. Big hitting, big blocking, good setting. The only short guys left here are amazing leapers or setters/liberos. Jump serving should be used often, although it may not lead to a lot of aces.

AA - Every aspect of their game at this level is great. The offenses are extremely complex. Most all players are very tall and played in college level ball somewhere.

AAA - Simply put, the best of the best.

What do you know about it?

I'm sure people will ask what I know about the USAV region, the rules, etc.  The fact is that I only know what I've researched and found -- I have little doubt that something I say will be incorrect at some point, however I can say that I try to be as accurate as possible with the information that I put out there.  My goal is to try to help you in setting up or joining a club and giving you false information won't help this at all.

The majority of the information that I'll be putting up on this blog has either been gathered by me through research, is an answer to questions I've received from people, or is information that has been given to me by other directors.

For full disclosure, I run a local men's B / BB club called the Austin Hill Country Volleyball Club (AHCVC or HCVC) and the 2009/2010 season was our first season.  We found that the same 6 teams showed up to nearly every tournament and we were lucky when there were enough teams for a B and a BB pool.  I would like to change this so that there is strong competition in the area.

Why this blog?

The Lone Star USAV Region doesn't, in my opinion, have enough men's teams.  In most tournaments, there's 4 B and 4 BB/A teams -- I know there are a LOT more teams out there that are playing in leagues, etc.  Some of the teams could easily develop a club for tournaments and have a great amount of fun! With this in mind, I started trying to figure out WHY people aren't interested in joining a USAV club or, more importantly, do they have the information that they need to play?   This blog isn't going to be solely focused on men's teams, but more the overall USAV requirements to help anyone interested.

The answer has been NO.  They seem to be missing a lot of information.  People who might otherwise start a club aren't sure what they need to do or what the requirements are.  Others who would play on a club simply don't know how to find them or even know what USAV is.  With that in mind, I started this blog to explain a bit more about USAV, what it is, how to join, etc.  This will hopefully help YOU create a club or join one.  Admittedly, this is partially selfish as I'd love to play against more teams -- but at the same time, it is also for your benefit. This year's season is basically over and the next one starts in September/October, but this is a great time to start working on a new team and recruiting players.

If you're interested in getting more information about how USAV works, what it takes to start a club, what the requirements are, etc, sign up for our email feed or use Google Connect to follow us. This blog will not focus on any single club, though there may be posts from various clubs who are recruiting players.